CSI Chase for Life
by linschickrule101
Summary: Someone's killing off people from the CSI lab, starting with the lab techs and moving up. How far will they go, before someone catches them? And how many will die? Only time and investigation will save the CSI lab. (Many Character Deaths...sorry)
1. Default Chapter

Archie was just getting into his flat. He gave a big sigh as he walked through the door and dropped his keys, watching them skid across the hallway table before he slammed the door.

His job was never easy. He had to watch or listen to killings, victims who he never knew and watch or listen as they died. He had to listen to ransoms and to the voices of the killers. As much as he tried, there were days when he wished his job wouldn't show the evil side of mankind.

He slumped into his lounge and sat down on the sofa, switching on the TV. He sat with his back to the doorway and watched the end of some soap opera that he only every caught the end tail of.

Sighing he sank back into the sofa and laid his head right back, closing his eyes. "What a day." He muttered, rubbing his eyes, but never opening them.

A sudden creak behind, however, made him open his eyes. He stared up into the masked face and cried out as the wire was thrown over his neck and pulled.

* * *

"Anyone seen Archie today?" Greg asked, walking into the break room with two tapes in his hand.

"He's not in?" Warrick asked, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"No sign of him." Greg said.

"I've just rang him." Grissom said, stepping into the room behind Greg. "No answer." He added.

"I know his address, just let me drop this off with someone else." Greg suggested. "I can't do anything else without this processed so I'll just be sitting around, might as well see if he's okay."

"Okay, but hurry back." Grissom said, walking back out.

* * *

"Archie? Hello?" Greg had rang the bell for a few minutes before he tried calling his phone. He was stood in a large apartment building, several floors up. "Archie?" he called again, banging on the door, only to have the door open up. "Archie?" he asked, pushing the door fully open. He stepped into the flat and glanced down the empty corridor.

Walking through he felt very uneasy, as if something had happened that he should be careful of. He pocked his head round into the kitchen and then across the corridor in to the lounge. It was here he stopped. Blood was splashed across the back of the sofa and floor. He stepped carefully into the room and round the corner to the balcony and stopped as he came face with a very dead and hanging Archie.

"Shit!" Greg yelled, sprinting out of the flat and tried to prevent himself from throwing up. He pulled out his phone and dialled.

"Grissom." Came the answer.

"Gris, Archie…oh God…he was hanging. God he's dead!" Greg stuttered over the phone.

"Greg? Calm down. What's going on, who's dead?"

"Archie." Greg cried down the phone.

"I'm coming over." Grissom said, quickly hanging up and rounding up Sara and Catherine to come with him. He called Captain Brass and told him to corner off the flat and meet him and part of his team there.

"What's going on?" Brass asked.

"I got a call from Greg. Archie's dead."

* * *

Well what do you all think? Good idea or not? 


	2. Search

"Greg?" Catherine shot forward as Greg sat shaking on the curb outside the flat, tears unshed but shining in his eyes.

"Catherine?" he asked, his stare broken by her arrival. He shook his head, confused.

"Jim, give him a lift back to the lab." Grissom said as he passed the young man, giving him a sad smile.

"Sure thing." He held the young CSI by the arm and helped him up, leading him to the car and put him into the front passenger seat.

The three CSI's, Grissom, Sara and Catherine made their way to the door and slowly into the apartment. They followed the coroner into the lounge and the three stoped in their tracks, staring at the still swinging corpse of the late Archie, Audio and Visual lab tech in the CSI lab.

"Catherine, take the other rooms. Sara, print the doors and windows, find out how he got in. Brass will ask Greg about what he found and touched." He stepped up to the body. " I'll take in here." He added, nodding to David.

Sara and Catherine left Grissom to attend to their tasks while he and David cut Archie down.

"He was killed first, before he was hung here." David said. "The cut is across the throat, straight line. The second is just under the chin, where they strung him up. The first would have destroyed all the vessels in his throat." He explained, pointing out the deep cut along his throat and the other lighter one under his chin. "Wire." He added, trying to preserve it.

"We might get some fibre off." Grissom suggested, slowly untying the thick wire and carefully peeling it out of the throat. He bagged it and tagged it before allowing David to put Archie into a body bag. He winced slightly as the bag was zipped up and stepped to the size as he was wheeled out.

Grissom slowly went around the room, finding hairs and foreign fibres. He lastly approached the sofa as Sara and Catherine came back in.

"A few prints, but I'm doubting this guys left us much." Sara told Grissom as Catherine said nothing was out of the ordinary.

"Well I can gather that he was sitting here, and the wire was thrown around his neck, possibly from behind and then tied till he chocked…on his own blood." Grissom said quietly. "They then moved his body over here and strung him up…Why?" Grissom said, turning slowly to take in the room.

"Blood." Catherine said, moving to the wall that hid the door from view, the area where Archie had been hanging.

"Where?" Sara asked, stepping beside the older woman. "Cleaned?" she asked confused.

"Lumenal." Catherine said, getting it passed to her by Grissom while also being handed a set of goggles. Sara set about closing the curtains to make the room darker so as to see the lumenal better.

Catherine sprayed the wall a few times and stepped back with a gasp.

"We may have a problem." Sara whispered, shocked.

* * *

Brass sat down in the break room and handed a cup of coffee to Greg. "Okay Greg, just the usual questions. Did you touch anything at the scene?"

"No just the front door and the lounge door I think." He said, rubbing his head to ease the headache.

"Here." Brass dipped into his pocket and brought out some aspirin, pouring out a few tablets into Greg's hand. "When did you last see Archie?"

"Here, early this morning. We were both staying later…earlier than usual. Working on that false kidnapping." Greg said, pausing to down the tablets.

"Can you think of anything that might have seemed strange? Was he reluctant to go home? Getting odd phone calls? Did someone have a grudge?"

"No…wait." Greg sat back and closed his eyes to think. "He did get an odd package a few days ago, we had a bit of a laugh over it." Greg said, a slight smile appearing on his lips. "It said something strange. A reference to Star Trek, said this certain episode would be his last but said he would tell him what happened in the episode after that." Greg laughed lightly. "Spoiled the surprise for him." Greg took a shaky breath and closed his eyes to stop the tears that rose to the brim and threatened to spill.

"Do you know what happened to the letter?" Brass asked.

"He binned it." Greg muttered. "Can I go now?" he asked.

"Yes, let me find Nick or Warrick and get them to drive you home." He just got a shaky nod in return.

* * *

"Brass here." He held his phone close to his ear.

"Brass, has Archie had any warning?"

"Some odd letter, I'm trying to find it." He stood with a few other day shifts CSI's and the lot of them were going through the trash bins outside.

"I think it might be legitimate." Grissom answered. "We found a message in blood, cleaned up, but not enough so we would find it."

"What does it say?"

" 'You shouldn't have agreed with them over me.' " Grissom read out. "I think he was targeted for something he said." Grissom explained. "Find that note and get a paper analyses."

"When we find it. See you here." And he hung up. "Anything?" He asked Warrick who shifted through the trash beside him.

"Nothing." He said.

"Keep looking. Nick should be back soon."

"I think he's staying with Greg, he seemed shaken." He stood up straight. "I can't believe it happened. Poor Archie, the number of nights the group of us have gone out on, the number of laughs we've gotten from those two joking together, it won't be the same."

"You going to be okay on this one?"

"Yes. I want to help." Warrick replied defiantly.

"Okay, lets get back to it." And they continued.

* * *

Well what do people think, I have a lot of chapters planed here. And an idea of who it is at last, I finally decided. (Evil laugh!) Anyway, I've also decided who's going to die…a lot of people lol!

Please review!


	3. another one bites the dust

"Well it does sound like someone from with in the lab." Warrick said, sitting down heavily in the chair and throwing the plastic bag on the table. Catherine leaned over and picked it up, looking at the letter and the blank envelope.

"Have we checked the printers here?" She asked.

"Sara is." Grissom said, sitting next Warrick. "You should all head home, shift's almost over."

"Yeah, I should get home to Lyndsey." Catherine said, standing up to go. "See you all later tonight." She added as she walked out the door.

"Yeah we should all go." Warrick said. "I'm gonna check on Greg. See if Nick's alright as well."

Eventually Sara left the printers with the day shift crew and Grissom eventually trailed off to his car after sending all the lab techs who worked night off home.

"This won't be easy." He said to himself as he drove off.

* * *

Later that night everyone was finally back together at work. The night shift and the swing shift had been put together to sort the case, this meant that the old team had been revived and the lot set away in the break room to show what each had found over the last hour they had been there for.

"Its definitely a printer from here." She said pointing out the distinct printing marks on two sheets of paper. "But it's the main printer, so we don't know who could have used it."

"Someone with a grudge?" They all turned to find a very pale Greg standing in the doorway, trying to look confidant but ending up looking like a lost boy.

"You should be at home Greg, resting." Grissom said.

"I'm going mad back home, I want to help." Greg said.

"Right, then work with Sofia on the Bolston case." He said, expecting some argument but ending up with a nod.

Grissom waited till Greg was gone before he continued. "Robbins says he was strangled before he was hung up. With the wire." He pulled out the bag containing the wire out on to the table. "Nothing else to go on."

"Do you think this was an isolated attack?" Nick asked, putting a hand through his short hair. "Can't tell yet. We may want to warn everyone to take care, ask if anyone has received any letters, warnings, like Archie's." Grissom continued.

"We'll check with the techs to see if any prints have come off the paper." Catherine said, nudging Sara.

"I'll check security tapes over that day to see who used that printer." Nick said, standing up behind Catherine.

"That's a lot of hours to check." Warrick said.

"Help him out. You take the day before. Nick take the day of the letter." As they reached the door he called out. "Remember, there will be quite a list and we can't go pointing fingers now." He added.

"Okay." Warrick answered.

* * *

"What a list!" Sara cried out as she looked over it. "And it includes us." She added.

"Only Grissom and myself haven't used it over those days." Nick said. "Sorry."

"Mind Hodges used it just before the time Archie and Greg read the letter." Warrick pointed out. "But the camera isn't in the right area so we can't find out what he printed off." Warrick explained.

"Lets ask him, just casually." Grissom warned.

"I'll go." Sara said. "Nick." She motioned to the lab where Hodges worked.

"Sure."

The two walked carefully over and started asking for the results on the fibres found in the wire.

"Nothing much I can tell you." He said. "It was from a cotton material, but most clothing is made up of it." He handed out the results.

"You were printing something out a few days ago at the printer." Sara started, looking down the microscope at the fibre.

"So do most people round here." He responded coldly.

"Mind if we ask what it was" Nick said, more of a statement than a question.

"None of your business!" Hodges replied. "I see what's happening. When Willows blow's up the lab you try to pin it on me. Now someone's dead you're trying it again. Well Ecklie will hear about this!" He yelled storming out of the lab and into the locker room.

"I don't think that worked." Nick sighed.

"Come on, shifts almost over, we should head off, see how Greg's doing." Sara said, leading the way out.

* * *

"Hodges." He turned around ready to yell at who ever it was.

"What?" he asked, seeing the person. He still had one leg out of his car, but started the engine. "Have you come to accuse me as well?"

"No. Just to say I believe you."

"Whatever." He answered, climbing in totally and listened to the footsteps as they walked away.

"Its true." Hodges turned back to the door and screamed out as the axe swung into his face. "You should be more nice though." And the shadow glided out to another car and drove off, leaving the body of the late Hodges, still sitting in the car.

Minutes later, and the body was found.

* * *

Well, is this working? Review please! 


	4. fight in the ring

"Shit!" Nick cried, jumping back as Sara opened the door and the fresh blood rushed out onto the road.

"Is that…?" she asked.

"Hodges." Catherine gasped.

"Looks like our first suspect got the axe." Grissom muttered, pointing to the fire axe on the road outside the car.

"Is that one of ours?" Nick asked.

"The one for outside? Yes. But there's no CCTV camera on this side, with it being near the main door." Sara pushed a hand through her hair. "I can't believe no one saw this!" she growled out.

"This the new one?" They all turned to find David standing behind them.

"Yeah. David Hodges." Grissom said, stepping back to let David through to collect the body.

"Have you taken photos?" He asked.

"We have to wait for Sofia, until our names have been ruled out we can't help." Grissom explained. "Only Sofia can be vouched for." He added.

"I'm here." She called, dashing out to the car. "What a mess." She muttered, quickly snapping up some photos. "Greg and Catherine can help me. I saw both of them around the time of this." She said, stepping back to allow Catherine to get into the back seat while Greg looked in through the passenger side.

"O…kay." Greg said, getting everyone's attention. "I think this might be the same killer." He held out a letter to Sofia, it was the same envelope that the CSI lab used.

" 'I warn you all, you might want to post this. You'll all die if you continue like this.' " Sofia read out, frowning as she went through.

"Definitely the same killer." Sara said.

"Everybody tell Greg where you were around the time of Hodges death and he'll check it. Then we'll need everybody pulling double." Sofia demanded.

"Sure." Warrick agreed and they each made a statement back inside while Catherine checked the car and Sofia took prints from the axe. David was swift to move the body down into the morgue.

"They're all accounted for." Greg said, leading the team into a meeting room where Sofia and Catherine were set.

"I'll go down and see what Robbins has found out." Grissom said, walking off, away from the team.

"He's not taking it so well." Nick said.

"Greg, I want you to finish off our case. Okay?" Sofia asked.

"Sure." Greg nodded, again putting up no resistance.

"Do you think he's okay?" Sara asked, sitting opposite Sofia.

"He's lost a good friend. A few of us have." Nick whispered.

"You were friends with Archie?" Sofia asked.

"Not totally. We had a few drinks out at times, but Archie and Greg were really close. Great at 'joking it out'." Warrick explained, laughing slightly.

"But are you two going to be okay with this?" Catherine asked.

"Yeah." Nick said, Warrick nodding beside him.

"Okay, what do we have so far?" Sara asked, getting down to business.

* * *

"Okay what do we have so far?" Grissom asked, unknowingly repeating Sara's question.

"Top half of his face was taken clean off." Robbins explained. "That would mean a strong swing. Right through the teeth and in through the back of the skull." He pointed out the exit to the impact.

"Can you tell me anything else, any clues as to who could have done this?"

"Grissom. The way someone is killed is normally found, the who, that's your job."

"Thanks." Grissom answered, turning and stalking off.

"Is he okay?" David asked, stepping forward to clean the body.

"This is hitting his team hard, two down out of the lab techs, anyone could be next."

* * *

"Grissom? What's going on?" Bobby asked, stepping into Grissom's pace.

"Nothing as of yet Bobby." Grissom said, turning down a different corridor and leaving the lab tech standing at the junction, shaking his head.

* * *

"Prints?" Catherine asked, stepping in to the room.

"Too many." The lab tech said. "I've got yours, Nick's, Greg's, Warrick's, Grissoms's and half the lab techs round. Is this the axe from the front door?" she asked, turning back to the computer.

"Yeah, the one everyone touches as they stumble out of here." Catherine muttered glumly. "Any unknowns?"

"No, they're all accounted for."

"Thanks." Catherine said, taking the file back to the meeting room.

"We got nothing!" Warrick cried out as he followed Catherine into the room.

"Same here." Sara said, getting a chorus of shaking heads in return.

"I've got just about everyone's prints on the axe." Catherine said, slamming the file down.

"So we're back to, 'it could be anyone'." Nick growled, standing up from his chair.

"Hey, we're trying." Catherine barked back.

"Yeah and getting nothing, we've got to be missing something." He answered back.

"I don't see you coming up with anything." Catherine argued.

"Hey, we're trying as well." Sofia jumped in. "We're all just tired. Lets leave it till our next shift. This one's just about over." She continued.

"So we let another tech die!" Sara yelled, springing from her chair.

"Calm down!" Sofia barked back. "We're not getting anywhere!" she yelled back, also jumping from her chair. Slowly the whole room dissolved into verbal fights.

"Hey! Guys!" Greg stood in the doorway, trying to calm them down. "Shut up!" He screamed, finally getting their attention.

"Look at you lot. They best CSI's fighting." He said, pointing to them all. "Go home, and rest." He said quietly. "Before you get the whole lab in an uproar." He added, pointing to the crowd of lab techs behind him who had been leaving for the end of double shift.

"Fine." Nick snapped. One by one they trailed out of the room, none of them saying anything to the other.

Greg managed to get the lab techs to move on after them and was left alone in the doorway with a large headache for company.

"Good job with the Bolston case Greg." He swung his head up to see Grissom around the corner. The man slowly walked towards Greg. "And good job with this." He said, pointing to the meeting room where the argument had earlier kicked off.

"No problem." He said, turning to leave.

"Are you okay?" Grissom asked. "You coping well?"

"Its not me you should be asking." Greg started. "You should ask your team why they are fighting each other, or why you seem to be disappearing off and not keeping them up to date." he stated.

There was a silent pause in which Grissom had his head down, looking at some of the files but not reading them. "I guess…" he looked up, only to find Greg gone. "You're right." He finished quietly.

* * *

"Shut up back there." The person snapped, elbowing the tied man in the face. Blood spurted out of his nose, onto the tape across hismouth and onto the back of the car. "Great." He muttered sarcastically. "More blood to clean up. You know I've got something very special for you." He continued, slowly pulling the car out of the CSI lab.

"Grissom." He greeted as he drove out from the front door, getting a silent nod in return fromt he man, as was heading to his car.

"No one suspects." The man said, rolling his window up and drove out from the crime lab. "Lets have some fun David." He said, grinning slightly. "This will be for being so mean about everything about me." He laughed. David sat shivering in the back and thinking 'I'm next on that metal slab!' and the tears fell. 'Dr. Robbins won't be impressed.' And the car drove for the desert.

* * *

Well? Good, bad? Keep me going people! 


	5. top floor down

This story is dedicated to Unlikely-to-bear-it, well done.

* * *

"I thought a test of the epithelial cells on the axe handle." Greg said, walking beside Catherine as she walked to the meeting room.

"Thanks Greg." She said, suddenly surprised as he headed off to cover their other cases.

"You can pick it up from Mia in an hour or so." He shouted over his shoulder as he disappeared into another meeting room to review the evidence of his latest case.

"We all sorted?" Sofia asked as she met Catherine in the doorway.

"Yeah." Catherine answered coldly.

"You're not still all mad at each other." Grissom said from across the room. Getting no answer he shook his head and was about to say something else when Brass and Dr Robbins stepped into the room.

"What's wrong?" Nick asked, pulling a chair out for a very shaken Dr.

"We found another body." Brass explained.

"David Phillips." Dr Robbins said, shaking his head.

"So its not just lab techs." Sara sighed.

"Are you going to be okay?" Catherine asked Dr Robbins, shifting beside him and taking his hand.

"Yes. I've left the…body with day shift coroner." He said.

"Thank you." Sara said.

"Nick, Sofia? Will you two take this case?" Grissom asked.

"Sure." Nick answered, leading the way.

"Al? Take the day off." Grissom ordered.

"I'll take him home." Warrick said, standing up and waited for the man at the door.

"Take care." Grissom said to his friend as he watched him hobble out.

"This is getting to be too much." Brass said.

"Yeah." Grissom agreed. "Sara, Catherine and I'll go to the scene, see what we can find."

"I'll come with you." Brass said, leading the way.

"This is getting ridiculous." Greg muttered to Mia as he left her lab.

"Yeah." She agreed, shaking her head at the glum team that passed her.

* * *

"Anything?" Nick asked the cover coroner.

"Well he was tortured for a long time." The man explained. "There are numerous burns to his torso and arms. "He was finally bled out." The coroner pointed to David's wrists that had been slit.

"Shit." Nick muttered, shaking his head.

"Anything to tell us who did this?" Sofia asked, grasping for a clue.

"Nothing. This guy is thorough."

"Thanks." Nick sighed leaving the morgue.

* * *

"This place is a mess." Brass muttered, gazing around the stretch of bloody desert.

"Mind, they're getting sloppy." Grissom said, pointing to some footprints in the sand.

"Or they could be playing with us." Sara said, holding up a knife.

"Is that…?" Brass asked.

"Standard Issue CSI Case knife." Sara said. "Even has the CSI crime lab written on the side."

"So it was purchased from the CSI storage." Grissom summed up.

"You can't very well go asking everyone to show them their knives." Brass said.

"But we can check resent purchases." Grissom explained.

"Isn't that toeing the line a bit?" Brass questioned.

"We can still manage it." Catherine said defiantly.

* * *

"You going to be okay." Warrick asked Al Robbins as he dropped the older man off at his home. His wife had come out to help him.

"Yes. Thank you. And good luck with the case." He said, shaking Warrick's hand.

"Thanks." He said before he drove off.

He quickly dialled Grissom. "Anything?" he asked.

"We found a weapon and some prints." Grissom explained, driving himself and the team back to the lab.

"I'm on my way back. Anything you need me to do?"

"Check on this footprint when you get back. We're going to review over the evidence so far." Grissom explained.

"Okay, see you then." And Warrick hung up. "How are we going to find you?" he asked the open air.

* * *

"If you want to check on Mia and see what she can tell us so far, I'm going to collect the evidence from Hodges case." Nick said, walking into one of the storage rooms beside the morgue.

"Okay, meet you up stairs." Sofia said, stepping into the lift. One floor up another person stepped in, who she greeted simply before the lift continued up.

"Sofia about that case you worked on before the night shift were split." She turned to listen to the man.

"Yeah?"

"Bad work." He growled, grabbing her hair and slamming her face first into the wall, knocking her out. "Very bad work." He muttered, over and over again as he moved the lift to the second to top floor and stopped it with a gloved hand and climbed out of the lift from the top with a small set of stepladders. He left the steps where they were in the lift and opened the door to the top floor. He carefully glanced up and down the corridor to make sure no one was watching and then started hacking away at the lift cable.

"Night night." He whispered as he cut through and stepped off as the lift dropped a few inches. With a final kick it plummeted down several floors and he closed the door, pocketed the gloves and walked slowly down the stairs, picking up the pace as people started shouting about a lift falling. Wiping the grin off his face he followed.

* * *

well, is it going good or not. I'm planning one more death, possibly two. I think that this chapter should have given a good clue as to who it is


	6. two in one

Thank you, to everyone for reviewing, I'm flabbergasted! So many reviews, and so few people who have guessed right. Lets continue!

* * *

Grissom ran into the crime lab as he heard the sirens of an approaching ambulance.

"What's going on?" he asked the first person he saw.

"The elevators crashed."

"What's going on? Everyone back to work!" Ecklie shouted, stepping into the crowd.

"One of the elevators has crashed." Bobby said, running out from the stairs and skidded to a stop before Ecklie.

"Is anyone hurt?" Catherine asked, jogging up to the group with Sara and Brass in toe.

"Nick thinks Sofia was in the lift." He told them, leading the way to the stairs.

* * *

"Nick!" Warrick ran out from the stairs, having arrived ten minutes after the first group.

"Hey." Nick greeted him, phased out slightly as he sat outside the morgue.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. We should get started, clean this up." He said, trying to stand up but pushed back down by Grissom.

"Warrick, take him home." He ordered. "And stay with him until he calms down." He continued.

"Sure." Warrick agreed. "Come on man." And led him up the stairs.

The firemen had just managed to open up the crushed elevator. And were allowing paramedics to go in to check vitals.

"Dead." One of them answered, sending Grissom back into a chair.

"Bring the Coroner over." Another one shouted. The group parted as a trolley came through and the Coroner helped to lift the mangled body out.

"Grissom." He looked up at Catherine. "Lets take you home." She said, helping him up.

"I'm alright." He said, pulling his arm away.

"No. You've hardly slept or eaten. I'm over ruling you, you're in no state." She said.

"Sara, will you take him home?" she asked.

"Yeah." The two led Grissom to the stairs and Sara walked him up.

"Warricks cleared. You, Sara and Grissom are cleared and Nick's just been cleared." Greg said, stepping down to Catherine a few minutes after she sent Grissom home.

"I thought you said the camera was covered?" she questioned.

"Not entirely, I could still make out some of Nick's face. He never got on the elevator and the person who did this got on, on the floor above. That one was covered as well." He handed her some snap shots of Nick going into storage.

"Lets you and me check with the firemen." She started. "We'll see if they can find what went wrong. This could have been and accident." She explained.

"I doubt it." Greg said. "With the camera's covered, this was planned."

The two walked up the stairs and found the firemen on the top floor with Ecklie.

"Have you been cleared Sanders?" he asked, none too happy about what was going on.

"Yes, I've got CCTV of me with some lab techs on the third floor around the time the elevator crashed." He said, very professionally.

"Good." He stepped back to let them do their job.

* * *

It was the next night when the whole living team were back in the meeting room. They were slowly going over each case.

"Archie, found be Greg." Grissom said, putting a picture into the middle of the table.

"Killed the morning before Greg went to see him." Al Robbins explained, putting his autopsy file with the pictures. "Asphyxiation due to strangulation."

"Everyone was cleared by friends or family at the time." Catherine explained, putting her interview papers with the growing pile.

"No prints, or evidence other that the fibres from a CSI jacket." Nick explained, putting the fibres down.

"Next was David Hodges." Grissom continued, starting a new pile.

"Axe through into the face, severing the lower jaw from the rest of the body." Robbins said.

"Prints on the Axe included most people in the lab." Warrick added.

"David Phillips. Bled out." Grissom said, starting yet another pile.

"CSI knife, no records of any new purchases for this item." Catherine explained.

"No prints." Sara added.

"Sofia." Grissom started, letting Catherine put the pictures down.

"No suspects." She explained.

"Wire was cut causing the elevator to fall." Greg said, pulling out photos of the cut wire. "Not all with a message." He said.

"The last two had no message, unless verbal to the deceased." Brass finished.

"And we still have nothing!" Nick exclaimed, falling back into his chair.

"I suggest that we all take some form of protection. Guns with you the whole time." Brass suggested.

"But what will we do with these cases, wait for another attack?" Greg asked.

"We may have to." Ecklie said, having listened to all the evidence. He'd ended up having to sit in to hear everything since the safety of the lab was now in danger.

"Take the day off." He ordered. "Day shift are coming in since this is all happening to night and swing shift." Everyone nodded and headed for their cars.

* * *

Catherine sat for a moment and waved each person off as she had been left with the parking space in the far corner of the lot. Just as she started the car a man walked past the front and opened his car door next to her. She smiled at him and put her car into first gear.

"Don't move!" she turned and pulled out her gun, eyes wide as she realised who it was.

"Put you gun down or I'll shoot him." He held up and unconscious Bobby from ballistics."

"Okay, okay." She answered, trying to keep calm. She dropped the gun out of the driver's side window as the man threw Bobby into the back and climbed into the front. "Drive." He ordered.

"Where?" she asked, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.

"To your home." He answered.

"Okay." She said, feeling the gun press into her ribs. She backed out and drove off, thinking every fear in her head.

* * *

Is this any good people, am not sure about this chapter. 


	7. death and life

"Catherine?" Grissom had answered his phone after it woke him up.

"Gil! Please help!" She cried on the other end. All defences dropped and Grissom was instantly trying to comfort her.

"Catherine? Where are you? What's going on?"

"He's got Lyndsey! (Not sure how u spell her name, I always spell it how mine is.)

"Who?" Catherine?"

"That doesn't matter now Gil." The voice was high pitched, altered by helium. "You've got ten minutes before I kill someone. Three to choose from. And after the first, you have five minutes before I kill the next and another five till I kill the last." A laugh bubbled out. "So hurry." And the phone went dead.

Grissom was instantly up and running for his car, grabbing his phone on the way out. He lived twenty minutes away from Catherine; Nick was closer, as was Greg.

"Hello?" came a tired voice.

"Greg? Get to Catherine's and be armed. Ring the others on the way over, I'm ringing Nick."

"Is she okay?"

"We only have ten minutes before she's dead, hurry!" He said before he hung up and rang Nick. He dropped his phone in his lap as he swerved to avoid an on coming car.

Picking up the phone again and putting his foot down he rang Nick.

"Grissom, what's happened?" 'Caller ID' he thought before ordering Nick to get over to Catherine's.

* * *

Nick pulled up outside Catherine's house and spotted Greg's car parked outside. He got out and ran to the broken door, barely held on by the hinges.

"Nick!" Came Greg's voice.

"Greg?" he ran into the living room to find Greg over the body of Catherine. "Is she…?"

"She's alive. Call and ambulance."

"Grissom already called for one." And right on cue one pulled up outside.

"Check Bobby." Greg ordered, pressing down on the stab wound on Catherine's stomach.

"Dead." Nick gulped.

The paramedics swept in and went to Greg to take over. One of them checked Bobby, pronounced him dead and then moved back to Catherine.

"She's stable, lets get her out!" one of the shouted, lifting her onto a trolley and wheeling it outside.

"Lyndsey?" Nick called, looking into her room and finding the door closed. He pulled his weapon free and nodded for Greg to open the door. He did so and quickly found Lyndsey in a ball on the floor crying.

"Lyndsey." Greg whispered.

"Greg?" she asked, and then threw herself into his stomach crying onto his shoulder.

"She's still alive." Greg told her, hugging her tightly with the back of his hands, trying not to touch her with his bloody hands. But she just clung on tighter.

"Nick, can you take her, till I…" he nodded to his bloody palms.

"No please don't!" Lyndsey cried.

"Here." Nick passed a clean towel, which he wiped his hands on.

"Thanks. Lyndsey, lets follow after your mum." He took her hand with his dry, but slightly stained one and led her carefully out the back door so she wouldn't go through the living room. "Nick, would you wait here till the others arrive?"

Nick nodded and helped him put Lyndsey up front and then watched him drive off.

* * *

"What's going on?" Grissom asked, spotting Nick in the front door while the police taped off the area.

"Bobby's dead, Catherine's just hanging in there. Greg's taken Lyndsey to see her." Nick explained, waving Sara over as she ran from her car after picking up Dr Robbins to meet his Coroner team at the scene.

"Brass is here." Nick added as they gathered before him.

They all entered the building to investigate what had happened.

"Sara, will you go over to the hospital to get a statement from Greg and Lyndsey, and Catherine if she wakes up." Grissom asked.

"Sure." She answered heading back out to go to the hospital.

"Maybe we can finally get a name." Brass suggested.

"I hope so." Grissom answered, as he looked over at the corpse of Bobby the lab tech. He had been stabbed numerous times in the stomach and had bled out quickly. "I hope so."

* * *

Sorry it's so short, Next chapter you will find out who did all this, and the team go to confront him. Hope you're all enjoying 


	8. guess who!

"Mr Sanders?" A nurse in full scrubs asked, stepping into one of the waiting rooms.

"Yes?" Greg jumped up to see the nurse, leaving Lyndsey with Sara who had joined them an hour ago. Grissom and the team had rang to say they were on their way over soon after finding nothing substantial in the house.

"Mrs Willows is out of surgery and is fine." Greg sigh with relief. "She's awake and asking for you and her daughter." She continued.

"Thank you." He turned to Sara and Lyndsey and waved the over.

"This way." The Nurse led them down the corridor and into the recovery ward. Catherine was on a bed at the end of the empty ward, sat up slightly. She was still pale and had many tubes and wires with machinery gathered around her. "You can have a few minutes but she'll need some rest later."

Greg thanked the nurse and led Lyndsey by the hand up to the bed, watching as she hugged her drowsy mother and kissed her on the cheek.

"Hey you." Catherine croaked. "You were very brave." She whispered, returning the hug weakly.

"I was worried mum." Lyndsey answered. "Nana's on her way over to get me." She explained.

"Good to know. Do you mind if I talk to my friends sweetie?" Lyndsey nodded and moved on to the other side of the ward, looking down to where they had come from.

"Thank you Greg." Catherine said, extending a hand out which Greg took and squeezed gently.

"You would have done the same." Greg said.

"Hey, you're looking better." Sara said quietly. Catherine smiled. "Do you know who did this?" Sara asked.

"Yes." Catherine swallowed. "Bobby's dead, isn't he." She said.

"I'm sorry Catherine." Greg sat on the edge of her bed. "I couldn't save him. I couldn't get there in time." He whispered.

"No, you saved me, and Lyndsey." She looked up to Sara and said one word. "Ecklie."

* * *

Grissom stormed down the hallways of the crime lab, his phone in a vice like grip, almost at crushing it. Everyone stepped out of Grissom's way as he made a path to the main office in the lab labelled Ecklie.

He threw open the door and dropped his hand to his gun holster. A few of the people in the lab looked ready to run when he made the move. A few of the day shift CSI went for their guns while Nick and Warrick shot out of the Break room after watching Grissom as he took the call.

Grissom disappeared into the office and Nick and Warrick raced to the door. They peered in only to find Grissom alone. He stood over the desk, a piece of card held in his hand.

"Grissom?" Nick asked carefully watching the day shift CSI's as they grouped behind them, a few still with their guns out.

"We found our killer. Catherine's ID him." He growled throwing the card at Warrick who caught it.

"'So close, yet so far.'" Warrick read out. "Ecklie did all this?"

"Few of us ever liked him, maybe he finally snapped. Decided to get revenge his own way." Grissom said, taking in the office. "Check the parking lot and CCTV camera. See if he left and which way." Nick and Warrick jumped to the task and ran for the security office for the umpteenth time that week.

"Put out an APB for Ecklie, his car." Someone from Day shift ran off to the radio. "Send a police team to search his house, interview anyone in the neighbour hood." The rest went off. Grissom bend down to pick up the card that he threw at Warrick. Looking back over it he crushed it in his hand and cursed himself for not guessing.

* * *

Greg walked out of his car and into the lab. As he walked up to their floor he noticed the activity and continued on down. The groups parted for him until all were silent and watching him as he entered the break room, finding Nick, Warrick and Grissom around a police scanner.

"Still searching." He stated, throwing himself down on the sofa.

"No one knows anything?" Warrick asked.

"Neighbours haven't seen him since Thursday." He muttered angrily.

"Go home Greg." Grissom ordered.

"No." Greg said, narrowing his eyes. Grissom looked up and met Greg's stare.

"There's nothing you can do, go home and get some rest."

"Why don't you?" Greg argued, not breaking the gaze. Grissom finally broke the stare and looked back at the scanner.

The team sat like that for over half an hour before Greg stood up. "Anyone want an food?" he asked. Nick and Warrick shook their heads but Grissom stood up.

"I want to get tea." He said walking out before Greg could protest. He sighed, looked at Warrick, then Nick and followed Grissom out.

"I'll drive." Greg said as he caught up with Grissom on the stairs, leading the way to his car and unlocked it. When Grissom was in and belted up he reversed out and drove off to a small food shop he knew of.

"You don't want to go driving yourself into the ground Greg." Grissom suddenly said after ten minutes of silence.

"I could say the same for you Grissom." Greg replied sharply. Greg glanced at Grissom to see his reaction.

"I know how to handle a situation like this. You're new and young, you've never dealt with this."

"Makes two of us. You've never had _your_ work colleges killed." Greg bit back.

"Greg just drive me back to the lab and then drive yourself home!" Grissom half yelled, wincing at the way he sounded.

Greg fell silent, spun his car around, almost colliding with an on coming car and drove back.

"Christ Greg!"

"I would go back…" he pulled into a garage. "If I hadn't have spotted Ecklie's car" he said back, pointing to one of the open garages where the same car sat.

"Excuse me!" Grissom shouted, winding down the window. "The man that brought in that car, did he look like this?" he held up a sheet of paper with Ecklie's driving license on.

"Yeah I think so." The youngest mechanic said, stepping up to look at the picture.

"Can you tell me where he went?"

"Down that way. His car was beaten in, a bat or something, said he was a doctor and had to visit a patient up at the industry banks." He pointed off to the commercial side of Vegas, over towards the mountains. "He had his insurance so he got a curtsey car."

"What type?" he asked.

After being told there was an investigation going on the man got the details of the car and the licence plate number.

Greg drove off towards the industry estate while Grissom sent a message out on the scanner as to where to send a team.

"Lets find him Greg!" Grissom said, putting on Greg's police lights and watched as the young man hit the gas and drove as fast as he could handle. "Lets find the bastard!"

* * *

Sorry about the swearing and sorry about the lousy choice of killer. But I bet few of you guessed it to be him. I know of only two people who guessed. Do you want another chapter? 


	9. gun fight in the dark

It's the one you've all been waiting for ladies and gentlemen! Sorry for the wait, I've got two very important exams coming up so revision took priority. Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

The Car rolled into the industrial estate and slowed down. The police light on top clicked off and the car slowed down. The two men in the car looked up and down the estate before the car parked at the T-junction.

"I'll check down this side." Greg said, stepping out of the car.

"Check every ally way, the car could be anywhere." Greg started off to the right side of the T-junction. "And Greg," Grissom shouted. "Don't go looking for him, call me and wait." He ordered, receiving a nod from Greg.

* * *

"We just got a call from Grissom. They think Ecklie's at the Industry Bank." Brass shouted running down the corridor of the crime lab. Warrick and Nick shot up from their seats.

"Where are they?" Nick asked, running after Brass as they met up with a team of cops out front.

"They went off to find him." Brass growled.

"They what!" Warrick cried, skidding to a stop at Brass' car as Nick got in.

"They hung up on me." He said jumping in the front and starting the engine as up as Warrick climbed in back.

* * *

"Grissom." He answered.

"I found it." Came the reply.

"Greg? Where?" he started back towards the car.

"Third ally way down." Came his answer.

"Wait their, I'll be right down." He started jogging down, still listening to Greg. The young mans voice dropped to a whisper and Grissom instantly knew something was wrong. "What's going on Greg?"

"Someone's at the side door." He stopped.

"Greg?" Grissom picked up his pace.

"Oh shit!" Greg cried out, Grissom didn't need to listen to the phone he heard the shout down the street. A crash was heard and what seemed like a struggle.

Grissom shot down the ally way and saw the car with two people, arms locked into each other and they were struggling back and forth. The taller man caught sight of Grissom coming down the ally and threw the slightly smaller man into the car, before turning tail and disappearing back into the warehouse.

"Greg!" Grissom stopped at the kneeling man and helped him up.

"I'm okay." He said stumbling against the car while holding a sleeve to the side of his face. "He's gonna make a runner, we gotta catch him."

Grissom took in Greg's face and the bloodstains on his sleeve but found himself nodding. "Have you got your weapon?" Greg nodded.

Grissom moved to the door, pulled his own piece out of its holster and pushed Greg so he was safe behind him.

The warehouse was dark with streaks of light on the wall and floor where the windows allowed the streetlights through. Grissom heard a rattling by the front door and heard someone curse. A loud bang echoes and then the sound of patting feet across from them.

"Ecklie! Give it up. I've got a team coming over here." He levelled his gun down the centre of the warehouse; he once more pushed Greg to one side behind a row of metal shelves. "We know it was you."

"You've got nothing." Came the reply. "But a falling case!" a loud crash made Grissom turn to see the metal shelves falling backwards. He wasn't sure if he shouted out but another roar greeted him as Conrad Ecklie lunged over the fallen shelves at Grissom.

Ecklie Grabbed at the gun, but fell right out of the air, landing hard at Grissom's feet. The gun had dropped with the sudden pressure, but was kicked away during the struggle. Grissom paused until he too hit the floor as Ecklie grabbed at his ankles.

A sharp cry was heard accompanied with a sickening crack as Ecklie's foot connected with Greg's face. Greg had been pinned under the shelves when they fell but had still managed to grab onto Ecklie as he leapt over for Grissom. But because he had still held onto Ecklie he had gotten a kick to the face for not letting go.

Grissom at seeing this had punched out at Ecklie.

"You two are the worst! You're both the two who started this."

"Started what Conrad?" Grissom cried out as Ecklie grabbed at him and the two struggled on the floor.

"All the hate against me!" he punched Grissom in the face, splitting his lip.

"No Conrad, you did that!" he punched back.

* * *

Brass pulled up onto the estate and jumped out of the car. "Where do we go?" Nick asked, also stepping out.

"We try to find the other car." He eyed Greg's car across the road. "Check the alleys. See if that car is parked anywhere." The team split into two and started, one up on way, one down the other.

They had just started when two gunshots rang out across the darkened estate. "No!" Warrick yelled racing up the street with Nick in toe. They had gone with one of the teams down the street, while Brass had gone up the street. They saw the older man with his team trying to open a shutter on the front of one of the building. Breaking the lock, the shutter was flung open and Warrick and Nick jumped inside with Brass, all weapons raised. They took in the site and an echo of shots rang up and down the street, ending in an eerie silence and a muttered curse.

* * *

Please review, my exam went very badly, I need a hug! 


	10. life and death and something in between

Ecklie flopped off Grissom and rolled towards the gun. Scooping it up he stumbled to his feet and pointed the gun at Grissom, breathing hard from the fight. Grissom was half way to his feet by the time he saw the gun. He held up his hands in surrender and stood up straight.

"You don't have to do Ecklie." Grissom said.

"Now you're all rational!" Ecklie barked his finger twitching on the trigger.

"Don't do it Ecklie!" The man turned slightly to look to his right. Grissom also looked to see Greg, still pinned under the heavy shelves leaning up on his elbows with his weapon clasped in both hands. It was a warning, not a plea.

Ecklie trained his gun on Greg, momentarily forgetting Grissom. Grissom, seeing the opening, threw himself forward.

As Ecklie spotted the movement and twisted to look at it the gun swung wildly and went off, getting an answered echo in return.

* * *

"Shit!" The curse was muttered out as everyone lowered their guns, looking around the warehouse. The area in front of them was smoky from all the guns and Ecklie lay on the ground, a bloody mess from the fight.

"Grissom!" Nick shot forward, ignoring Brass' attempt to stop him. He knelt down beside man who was sitting back against a crate, holding onto his shoulder.

"I'm okay." He said, breathing deeply.

"Here, put pressure on that." He brought out a handkerchief and then stripped off his CSI coat and tied it under Grissom's arm and over his shoulder.

Brass and Warrick both knelt down on either side of Nick and took in the pale face of Grissom and the blood that was seeping down his shirt.

"Get the paramedics!" Brass shouted, turning to watch as some officers approached the body of Ecklie, kicked his gun away and then checked his pulse.

"He's still alive!" someone shouted.

"Greg." Grissom hissed as Nick applied more pressure after securing the make shift bandage. "He was…there." Grissom nodded to the fallen shelves in front of Grissom.

Warrick moved over and removed some broken crates to reveal a very still and pale young man.

Two sets of paramedics suddenly appeared at the door. One lot sent to check on Greg and another for Ecklie.

"What happened?" Brass asked, standing to see how Greg was.

"Greg tried to distract him with his own gun. I tried to get my gun off Ecklie, but he fired." Grissom paused for breath as shouts arose from the two sets of paramedics.

"He's stable, but has lost a lot of blood."

"Pulse is weak. Erratic. Lets get him out!" the team tried lifted Greg onto a stretcher while another was applying pressure to the wound. However they found that they couldn't pull Greg from out from under the shelves.

"Somebody help!" Warrick yelled, grabbing one corner of the heavy shelf. An officer ran forward, shouting out to other officers and they each grabbed a section of the shelf. Slowly they lifted it up and Greg was pulled out from under it. Warrick audibly gasped as he saw the paramedic remove his hand to place more padding on the wound.

"He shot me as Greg shot Ecklie. When you ran in Ecklie fired back." Grissom finished, stretching to see the young man.

"Dr Grissom? Lets get you in an ambulance." Greg and Ecklie were taken out of the warehouse.

"Is Greg okay?" Nick asked Warrick as he helped Grissom to walk out.

"The wound's over his throat." Warrick started, letting go of Grissom as the paramedics put the older man into the ambulance. As the paramedics sat him down he caught the tail end of the conversation. "There's so much blood, I don't know how he's alive." Then Nick jumped into the ambulance to go with Grissom while Brass and Warrick promised to follow behind.

* * *

"What happened?" Sara asked, meeting Nick in the middle of the corridor while Grissom was led through to a cubical.

"Gun fight." Nick said, sitting down outside the cubical, blood stained hands held up in front of his eyes.

"Is everyone okay?" she asked, panicking slightly.

"Grissom was shot through the shoulder, I don't know how serious. But Greg…" he paused with a shuddering breath.

"Oh God, he's not…?" Sara gasped.

"I'm not sure." Nick stood up with a harsh growl.

"Nick?" He turned around to find Brass and Warrick rushing down the corridor. Sara gasped as she saw the blood on Warrick's hands and shirt.

A doctor appeared behind Sara and paused as he took in the growing group. "Are you here for Catherine?" she asked Sara, remembering her being in the room earlier.

"Yeah. How's her wound doing?" Sara asked, shaking slightly.

"She should be fit enough to go in a few days time, but I want someone to keep an eye on her." The doctor explained.

"Her mother is looking after Lyndsey, I'm sure she can look after them both, and we'll all be over when we can." Sara explained.

"Good. Who are the rest of you here for?" she asked.

"Gil Grissom, Greg Sanders and of course Catherine." Nick explained.

"Three?" she asked, surprised.

"CSI's" Brass said, sitting down beside Sara. "How are they?"

"I'll go check." And she disappeared into the cubicle. A few moments later she came back out. "Dr. Grissom is doing well." She stated, flicking through his chart. "The bullet didn't do much damage, he just need an X-ray and some stitches. He'll be done in half an hour."

"And Greg?" Warrick asked, stepping forward.

"He's down in surgery." She said. "I can't tell you anything more than that." She sighed. The group thanked her and settled themselves to wait for Grissom before they went to Catherine.

She started down the corridor to continue her work when she looked at the last sheet on the chart. She stopped and then turned back to them. "They came in with a Conrad Ecklie." She said.

"Yes. What happened to him?" Brass asked.

* * *

Some time later Dr Robbins and some lab techs on Day, Night and Swing shift had come through together.

"Everyone's been on tender hooks!" Jackie said as Sara and Nick greeted her, the rest having moved to Catherine's room to tell her the news.

"They're saying Greg and Grissom were attacked. The whole crime lab is in disarray. We've got half the staff wanting to come over and the rest wanting to work the case!" she told them.

"I'm fine." They all turned to see a pale Grissom come out of the cubicle after being to X-ray sometime ago.

"Good to see you standing." Dr. Robbins said, looking at Grissom's arm in a sling.

"What's happened with Greg?" he asked.

"Greg's still down in theatre." Nick said in a small voice.

Grissom sighed. "Ecklie?"

"Pronounced dead on arrival."

* * *

Well, how's it going? I've finished my exams at last,spent agood night last nightgetting plattered to celebrate! So tell me how this is going, am nearing the end…some time soon. 


	11. lying down to rest a while

Grissom paced back and forth with Nick pacing across from him. The group had all gathered in the Ward Catherine was staying in. Luckily the ward was empty and everyone could fit into the large room. Sara and Warrick sat at the bottom of Catherine's bed while Lyndsey sat with her asleep. Catherine's mother had left to sort out a bed for her to say over at until her wounds had healed.

Dr. Robbins sat with Jackie and some of the other night shift techs on two of the bed down from Catherine's. The day shift sat on a bed across from Catherine's while Grissom and Nick paced between the beds.

"Grissom sit down!" Catherine growled out for the third time.

"I'm okay." He repeated.

"The hell you are." Warrick sniggered as Grissom hissed with pain as he turned.

Grissom stopped and threw himself down onto another bed and put his head in his good hand and sighed.

Nick stopped next to him and patted his good shoulder, before he continued his pacing. As he got to Catherine's bed the door swung open and a Doctor in surgical gear walked into the room. He stopped took in the sight and cleared his throat.

"I'm looking for Mr Sander's next of Kin?" he asked.

"Yes." Grissom stood up; many in the group raised their eyebrows at this fact.

"He's down in ICU. We managed to stop the bleeding but…" the surgeon stopped and met Grissom's eye with a serious frown. "We couldn't get the bullet out. It's lodged itself into his fourth vertebra and had punctured his lymphatic vessel and severed many arteries and veins." The surgeon took a breath and continued in a very strained voice. "We've repaired the veins and arteries and lymphatic vessel, but that could have caused infection due to unclean tissue fluid entering the blood vessels." Grissom took in this information and nodded solemnly.

"We have antibiotics hooked up, but this might not be enough. Also we have to wait to see if the bullet has damaged is nervous system at all. Right now it's touch and go, we just have to wait till he wakes up."

The whole room was in a stunned silence; Nick was the first one to break it. "Can we see him?" The surgeon looked at the mass of people in the room.

"A few select people." He said. "Two at a time and I can only allow so many in, anyone with a cold or virus I can not allow in for risk of further illness."

"How many?" Sara asked.

"Four or five." He said.

"I want to go first." Grissom said, moving towards the surgeon.

"I'll go too." Catherine said, motioning to the wheel chair folded by her bed. Grissom paused, looked at her and then nodded, moving over to unfold the chair.

"The rest of you should go home and we'll update you." Grissom said.

"No, we want to see him after you." Sara said, getting nods from Nick and Warrick.

"We want to get the update before we go." Jackie added. Grissom sighed and finally agreed, saying he would be out in a few minutes.

Grissom, pushing Catherine, followed the surgeon down the corridor and into the lift. Heading down they stopped on the ground floor and went to the back of the hospital, just down from surgery.

"Last room on the left." The surgeon said, pointing down one of the sterile, white corridors. "I must warn you, he's not awake, and might not for some time. He just has to rest in his own way." They thanked the surgeon and went to the door.

Grissom pushed open the door and pulled Catherine's wheel chair inside, never once taking his eyes off the still figure in the bed. As he turned the wheel chair around Catherine finally got a glimpse of Greg and gasped.

"Oh Greg!" she whispered, reaching out for his hand as Grissom nudged the wheel chair forward.

"Thank you." Catherine said, making Grissom very uncomfortable. "Without you, Lyndsey ad I might not be here, so you have to stay with us so we can thank you." She continued, tears trickling down her cheeks.

A small sob finally broke through, as she took in the stitches in Greg's neck and the tube through a hole lower down in his throat to help him breath.

Catherine felt herself being moved back towards the door and looked up to see a female nurse moving her chair.

"Lets take you back down to rest, you can come back to see Mr Sanders tomorrow." She explained.

"I'll…tell the others to come up…and send the others home." Catherine stuttered.

"Sure." Grissom answered, glancing down at Greg and taking the young mans hand in his as he pulled a chair forward and sat down.

"I'm sorry Greg. I always said I'd never let anything happen to anyone on the team." Grissom explained when he was sure the door was closed. "Ever since Holly…I swore it would be me first, before anyone else. Don't make me a liar." He rubbed Greg's hand.

"Please." He whispered.

* * *

One more chapter I think and then I'm done. So sorry I haven't been updating, have started A level work this week and I have so much homework to plough through. Thanks for all of the reviews, it's good to know people like my story! Thank you! 


	12. The end

So sorry I haven't updated in ages. I've been really ill in hospital, but I'm out now and I'm back!

Grissom was constantly back at the hospital. Guilt racked him as he thought of all of the outcomes. It was the third day since the operation when the Doctor wanted to do keyhole surgery to try to remove the lodged bullet. Grissom had agreed to it going a head and was currently pacing Greg's room, waiting till they wheeled him back.

The phone rang and a nurse came to tell Grissom that Greg was on his way back up to his room.

"Thank you" Grissom sighed, sitting back down.

In time the bed was brought back up and Grissom sat by Greg, taking up his hand again and once again begging him to wake up. This time however he felt Greg squeeze back on his hand.

Grissom smiled and rubbed his hand. "Just come back to us slowly." Grissom said watching Greg and knowing that he was just slowly battling his own body.

A few weeks had passed and the whole team had visited Greg again. He was awake now and feeling was slowly returning to him. He could move his arms and could talk just about fluently again. But he still found he couldn't feel his legs. Today the doctors wanted to get him to stand up in which a physiotherapist would message his legs and then try to get him to walk a few steps. The physio. wanted Greg to learn to flex his ankles again and move his knees and hips.

The whole team had said they would be there for him to encourage him and help him along. For the first time they saw him smile when they got him on his feet and witnessed him wiggle a few of his toes.

No infection developed from the lymphatic vessel rupturing and by the end of the sixth month, Greg was back at his apartment with Nick and Warrick staying to help him out.

Catherine and Lyndsey would often drop by to see how he was doing. Sara often brought Mia and any of the other lab techs round to see him. He was getting around on crutches but by the end of the month he was down to just a walking stick that Doc Robbins had donated.

Exactly eight months later Greg was back to work and was limping around joking with everyone. Grissom sent him out on a case with Catherine and Nick and smiled as he joked about driving again.

He was surprised when he went back to his new office to find a present wrapped on his desk and a small card lay upon it. Opening the card and reading it caused him to smile.

'Thanks for being there when I was lost in my darkness.'

Grissom put the card down and ripped open the paper to find a small cardboard box. Written on the side was, 'for your ever growing collection.'

He opened the top and lifted out a glass jar with a fish inside. He frowned and read the sticker across the top lid.

'Angler Fish'

He laughed quietly as he remembered Greg talking about a documentary about deep sea fish and saying he was fascinated by the large jawed Angler fish with a small light on the top of its head.

Grissom put the new jar beside his fettle pig jar. He tore off a bit of paper and scribbled something down before going to Greg's locker and pushing it through the gap.

It wasn't until later that night when Greg came back that he found the note. Unfolding it he read the note and laughed, packing up the last of his spare stuff and headed to his car.

'What a shocking result to a tragic time. Good to have you back.'

Greg passed the wall before the door and stopped to look at it. Across the entire length of the wall were plaques with CSI's lost in duty. He smiled quietly at the newest plaques that looked down on him. Archie Johnson, David Hodges, David Phillips, Sophia Curtis and Bobby Dawson. He sent a silent hello to them and stepped outside and into his car.

'It is good to be back'

Well I hope you all enjoyed that. Have not been feeling well so sorry if this seems rushed, but I lost my trail of thought on the story, might redo the ending.


End file.
